01. Zero Is Also A Number02. This Aching Isolation03. Hz04. Non Sum Qualis Eram05. Distances06. Inversions07. Creatio Ex Nihilio08. In Times Of Silence09. For Your Glory, Great Deceiver10. Nisi Credideritis, Non Intelligetis11. The Motives Of The Machine12. Singularities13. Loves14. The Fire Around The Lotus [bonus]

Rating supplement: Guess who's got herself a new band crush? It's been a while since I attached a 9.0 score to a review, so consider this a wholehearted recommendation.

Quick, what's the first thing that comes to your mind when I say "emotional, stripped down, dismal proggy music"? You're probably thinking Riverside, Porcupine Tree, maybe even Damnation-era Opeth or early 2000's Pain Of Salvation (or, if you're one of the three people on Metal Storm that share my obsessions, Wolverine and Sieges Even/Subsignal). Well, it looks like a new band joined this pack - I already adore them and you should too.

I finished listening to their last 2 albums; not bad but not that good either. I fail to see what's so great about this band.

Hmmm John. I thought for sure you would really dig these guys. They remind me of Riverside a lot. Only thing I can recommend is spin these a few more times. They might be "growers" for you.

I thought I would, too.
These guys are trying too hard to sound original (and they kinda are) but something gets lost along the way, at least for me. Things don't seem balanced in their music, it sometimes sounded messy. Their music reminds me of the proverb "too many cooks spoil the food". It's like having greatly skilled cooks and good ingredients and in the end the food doesn't taste good somehow. (I used this analogy before, sorry, but you know what I mean )

Nice! I am a big fan also Milena :0 One question tho, how come Rush's latest isn't in the top 20? What are the guidelines anyways?

because Rush scored lower.
The current albums ranked from the 8th till 20th all have a score of 8.2, but if you look at the decimals, then all of them are higher than Rush's Clockwork Angels, which currently now scores 8.16 while Urd by Borknagar is rated at 8.18 and sits at the 20th spot

After long time I am listening to something that I'm quite not familiar to( or if it's...don't listen that much!) and honestly? it's a great easy-soothing record with longevity of songs shaping up a beautiful atmosphere make such an easy listen to this album. I have only went through with this once and I think with more spins, I'll know them better.

After long time I am listening to something that I'm quite not familiar to( or if it's...don't listen that much!) and honestly? it's a great easy-soothing record with longevity of songs shaping up a beautiful atmosphere make such an easy listen to this album. I have only went through with this once and I think with more spins, I'll know them better.

Way to get on board brother! Check out their debut record for something just a bit heavier.

I've frequented Metal Storm a lot over the last few years, sometimes as a member and sometimes as simply a fan of the website. It took me a month and a half for me to think about what I wanted to say about this band, and I even questioned whether or not I even liked them in the first place. So here it goes:

They are great, although they sure make things complicated for the listener in this album. The spoken word interludes and the ambient moments in between, while contributing to the flow of the album, also detract from the power of their "actual songs," which are actually very solid. I listen to In Times of Silence and Singularities a lot, and when I do so, I generally skip over the interludes. Other bands (I hate to draw the comparison, but Tool, Persefone, Nachtvorst, etc.) do a much better job with the interludes by keeping them sparse, foreshadowing the next track or just generally building up for the momentum of the next track or taking the listener down after an intense song. The band clearly knows what they want to evoke, but stylistically I think the interludes could have been less monotonous. That is something they will have to improve on. I love how sparingly they use the harsh growls and just how solid their songwriting is, however; This Aching Isolation is awesome. There is no discernible flaw in their actual songs, in my opinion, and so the rating is simply a high 8 which gets rounded to a 9. They have promise for the future, and they are a band I will have to look out for.